[jQuery] XML print all nodes ( html() )

[jQuery] XML print all nodes ( html() )

Is there a way to print out the structure of a jQuery xml element...
heres some code
$
xml
.find
"item"
.each
function
{
    if
myid == $
this
.find
"id"
.text
{
     itemsXML = $
this
.html
<------ trying to do something
like this
}
}
i would like itemsXML to contain the entire stucture of the xml rather
than the jquery object. thanks